Venting closure cap



VENTING CLOSURE CAP Filed Nov. 2, 1961 SPENCER L. @LA Mocky/i W, A. scHA/OH TTORNEY States arent Ohce 3,059,800 Patented Oct. 23 1962 3,059,800 VENTENG CLOSURE CAP David A. Mills, Toledo, Ohio, assignor to Owens-Illinois Glass Company, a corporation of Ohio Filed Nov. 2, 1961, Ser. No. 149,624 Claims. (Cl. 21S-56) The present invention relates to a closure cap for a container such as a bottle, jar, or the like and more particularly to a so-called venting closure cap capable of relieving a partial vacuum occurring in said container.

It is known that certain products such as starch or detergent solutions when sealed in a container may react with the oxygen in the headspace of the container which tends to create a vacuum Within the container. The existence of this partial vacuum is undesirable particularly if the container is plastic. This vacuum will cause the walls of the container to collapse with the result that the container may break. The container is also unsightly and cannot be sold because customers will not buy a partially collapsed container. Attempts have been made to provide a container with a cap which would continuously relieve the vacuum in the container. However, such attempts have resulted in caps which have had one or more serious limitations such as reduced sealing eiciency whereby leakage of the liquid occurs or excessive cost. Accordingly, it would be most beneficial and desirable to the bottle cap art to provide a new type of cap which would be free of the aforementioned shortcomings of presently used venting closures.

lt is, therefore, an object of this invention to provide a novel venting closure cap for containers which tend to accumulate a vacuum therein.

A further object of this invention is to provide a venting closure cap which will permit the entrance of the atmosphere but prevent the entrance of moisture and the exit of the liquid contents of the said container.

These and other objects are attained by the construction shown in the accompanying drawing wherein for purposes of illustration an embodiment of the invention is shown and wherein:

`FIGURE l is a vertical sectional view of a neck of a plastic bottle anda venting cap made in accordance With this invention;

FIGURE 2 is a plane View of one component of the liner in `accordance with this invention;

FIGURE 3 is a view similar to FIGURE 2 but of a second component; and

FIGURE 4 is a view similar -to FIGURE 3, but of a third component.

Referring now to the drawing, there is shown the upper part of a plastic container 10 having a neck '11 with screw threads 12 and adapted to engage the screw threads 13 of a closure cap having a top panel 15 and a depending attaching skirt 16. Positioned within the skirt and under the cap of the closure cap is a liner 17 of multiple layers. By employing the c-ap of FIGURE l, it has been found upon the creation of a vacuum in the container, air from the `atmosphere will enter the threaded portions where the cap engages the neck of the bottle and the space 18 land thereafter permeate the liner 17, thereby preventing the build up of an undesirable vacuum within the container.

The liner 17 as previously stated is composed of multiple layers. The rst layer 20 or that one which is in contact with the underside of top panel is formed from porous pulp board. The pulp board layer is shown in FIGURE 2 and is circular in plan View. The periphery of layer 20 is provided with two notches 21 and 22 which are directly opposite each other.

ln a specic embodiment of this invention wherein a 38 mm. cap is provided, the pulp board layer 20 is 0.020 inch thick and the notches 2x1 and 22 are 0.20 inch deep. The notches 21 and 22 may be rectangular in shape, Wedge-shaped or partially wedge-shaped, that is, the point of the wedge being rounded.

The second layer 23 is -a layer of pulp board to which has been secured, as by heat sealing, a layer 24 of polyethylene or other similar plastic lm. This layer 23 is shown in plan view in FIGURE 3. A hole 25 is `punched through the center of the pulp board layer 23 and polyethylene layer 24. If desired the single hole 25 may be eliminated and three holes on a small circle may be utilized in its place.

In the specic embodiment described above the pulp board layer 23 is about 0.020 inch thick and the polyethylene layer 24 is about 0.0015 inch thick. The hole 25 is about 0.006 inch in diameter and may be cylindrical or conical in cross-section.

Preferably a fourth layer 26 which is formed from polyethylene or other plastic lm is provided. This layer 26 may be eliminated if desired.

This polyethylene layer 26 is secured, as by heat sealing, to the layer 24 only in the annular sealing surface area 28 of the liner 17. That is, the -annular area of liner 17 which will be in sealing Contact with the rim 27 of the container l0. The layer 26 is provided with two holes 30 which are on the circumference of a circle having a diameter less than the diameter of the annular sealing surface.

In the specific embodiment described above, the layer 26 is formed from polyethylene lm having a thickness of about 0.0005 inch. The holes 30 are about 0.006 inch in `diameter and punched from the side which will contact the layer 23. The holes 30 are on the circumference of a 1/2 inch circle. If desired two more holes 30 may be provided in the ilm on the 4same circle and .equi-distant from the other holes.

This invention has been described with reference to the use of polyethylene lm. It should be understood that other plastic films may also be used. For instance, polyvinyl chloride, nylon, polyvinylidine chloride, polypropylene, styrene, acrylonitrite, and cellulose acetate films may also be used.

lt will be apparent that various modifications can be made in the present invention without departing from the spirit thereof. For example, a threaded cap has been shown in the drawing, however, the invention is applicable to the well known crown cap in which the depending skirt of the cap is simply crimped against the side of the container or bottle neck (see U.S. 2,327,454 by way of example). Moreover, the reference to the use of the caps of the present invention for starch and detergent solutions is merely illustrative since other solutions which tend to produce a vacuum on storage can be bottled with the venting closures of this invention.

The vacuum within .the container `10 will be relieved by air entering the space between the screw threads 12 and 13. lt will proceed then through free space 18 to the notches 21 and 22. Thence it will proceed through the porous pulp board layer 20 to and through the hole 25 in the center of layers 23 and 24. It will then pass through the space between layers 24 and 25 to the holes 30 in layer 26. There it will be introduced into the container interior, thereby relieving the vacuum therein.

From the foregoing description it will be apparent that applicant has provided a controlled venting closure cap for a container which will relieve a vacuum within the container but will prevent the entrance or escape of liquids or moist-ure. It will Ialso be apparent that applicants closure cap by relieving `the partial vacuum within a plastic container will prevent the collapse of the same.

I claim:

1. A venting closure cap for relieving a partial vacuum in a container having a dispensing opening encircled by a rim, comprising a closure cap having a top panel portion overlying the opening and rim, a depending attaching skirt, means on `said skirt for securing said cap to a container, and a liner interposed snugly between said top panel portion and said rim, said liner being formed of a plurality of layers, the rst layer being in contact with said top panel portion and formed of porous pulp board, said first layer having la plurality of notches at the periphery of said layer, a `second layer formed of porous pulp board and having a hole in the center thereof, and a third layer formed of plastic material secured to said `second layer and having a hole in the center thereof.

2. A venting closure cap according to claim 1 wherein a plurality of holes on a circle are provided near the center of said second and said third layers.

3. A venting closure cap according to claim 1 wherein said plastic material is polyethylene.

4. A venting closure cap according to claim 1 wherein two notches directly opposite each other are provided in said first layer.

5. A venting closure cap according to claim 4 wherein said notches are wedge-shaped.

6. A venting closure cap according to claim 4 where in said notches extend outwardly over said rim.

7. A venting closure cap for relieving a partial vacuum in a container having a dispensing opening encircled by a rim, comprising a closure cap having a top panel pori tion overlying the opening and rim, a depending attaching skirt, means on said skirt for securing said cap to a container, and a liner interposed snugly between said top panel portion and said rim, said liner being formed of a plurality of layers, the first layer being in contact with said top panel portion and formed of porous pulp board, said lirst layer having a plurality of notches at the periphery of said layer, a second layer formed of porous pulp board and having a hole in the center thereof, a third layer formed of plastic material secured to said second layer and having a hole in the center thereof, and a fourth layer formed of plastic material secured to said third layer only in lthe area immediately above said rim,

said fourth layer having `a plurality of holes on a circle outside of the holes in said second and third layers and within said secured area.

S. A venting closure cap according to claim 7 wherein said plastic material is polyethylene.

9. A venting closure cap according to claim 7 wherein said fourth layer is heat sealed to said third layer.

10. A venting closure crap according to claim 7 wherein two holes directly opposite each other are provided in said fourth layer.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

